Pokémon: A Brand New Journey
by Duke
Summary: The heroes from Pokémon: A New Journey travel throughout the Orange Islands, finding new friends and powerful, as well as dangerous, new enemies
1. Orangey Fun!

Chapter 18: Orangey Fun!  


  
"Well, the Pokémon League is finished and won't be back for another year," Zach said as we were walking back to Vermillion.  
"Yea, I guess so. I wish I coulda done better though." I said as I hung my head.  
"Cheer up. In another year your Pokémon will be even stronger and you can compete again." Megan told me.  
"Maybe, but the wild Pokémon here aren't too strong, and neither are the trainers except for the Gym Leaders." I said with my head still hung.  
When we got to the ocean, Zach called out Lapras and we rode it back to Vermillion. The ride wasn't too bumpy. It was a nice day for training, if there WAS any training to do. When we got back home, Amy, Mom & Dad were waiting for us. I didn't expect a huge gathering, since there were about 30 trainers from Vermillion in the Pokémon League. After welcoming me & my friends, Dad decided to have a barbecue. I just realized then that I was starving. I hadn't eaten since I left Indigo Plateau. So, while Dad was cooking on the grill, Mom was busy getting plates. The rest of us were talking near the table. We let our Pokémon out to play in the backyard.  
"Hey Zach. Do you know of any places that have strong Pokémon?" I asked my brother.  
"Well, we could try the Jolt League, west of Victory Road, but I heard the trainers there were over twice as strong as any Red County trainer." Zach said.  
"Whoa. I don't know if we could stand a chance there." Josh said.  
"Of course we could! I trained my Pokémon very well. We could whoop any of the Gym Leaders there!" I shouted, trying to prove my case.  
"I dunno. I doubt anyone from Indigo could beat the Jolt League right now" Zach said.  
"I know! You can head to the Orange Archipelago," Amy piped in.  
"Huh? What's that?" I asked her.  
"It's a group of islands that have their own League. I heard that most Gyms have skill tests to earn a badge instead of a battle. The trainers there are really tough, but nowhere near as tough as the Jolt League." She said.  
"Hmm. Then that's where we'll go! By getting some good training there, we can beat those Jolt League Gym Leaders 5 times in a row!" I shouted as I stood up, proclaiming my challenge.  
"Lunch is up guys!" Dad said.  
He showed us our meal, which consisted of black hamburgers, charred hot dogs, and burnt steak. I tried to eat one of the hot dogs, but it crumbled in my bun. Zach's burger was too crunchy for him while Josh's piece of steak wouldn't fall under his knife. Megan and Amy had salads so they didn't get to enjoy our "delicious" meal. After Dad finished barbecuing, I went inside and grabbed some potato chips. Nothing like a non-nutrional snack to get your stomach filled. When I got outside however, I got trampled by all the Pokémon trying to get some chips. Graveler, Rhyhorn, & Golem almost squashed me. Raichu grabbed the bag, but inside there were no chips, just Pichu. As Pichu munched on the last chip, it looked at all the angry faces and instantly ran for cover near Megan. Since Dad can't barbecue & there were no snacks left, Mom made us all some sandwiches. After staying for a few days, we were about to leave for the Orange Islands.  
"You know, it's gonna be really cramped on Lapras with the four of us." Megan said.  
"Well then, why not use the boat?" Mom asked.  
"Huh? I thought Team Rocket blew it up." I said.  
"Well, they did. But when you managed to stop them, they reimbursed for the speedboat." Dad said.  
"So where has it been all this time?" Zach asked.  
"Well, the model you had wasn't a model from the company which the police sent the request to, so they had to build it from scratch" Amy replied.   
"All right then! We'll take it! Oh, and we promise not to let it be destroyed again, OK?" I said.  
Mom & Dad agreed, then said good-bye. Zach tried to say good-bye to Amy, but Amy gave him a peck on the cheek instead. Zach just stood there, red in the face, for the next 15 minutes. We had to drag him to the boat. Josh made sure there was enough food & gas to last, and I started the motor. We all waved to my family as we set out on a brand new journey.  
It had been about a week on the high seas trying to get to the Orange Islands. Zach was taking the most direct route, which was still hours away. We tried to use as little gas as possible, since we were almost out. Our food supply was running thin. I think Josh miscalculated how far the Orange Islands were. Anyway, I was about to get some soda to drink when suddenly the boat stopped.  
"Huh? What happened?" I asked.  
"Think we just ran out of gas" Zach replied, looking at the meter.  
"OK, so now what?" Josh said.  
"Hmm. Hey Matt. Why not use Gyarados to pull us the rest of the way?" Megan suggested.  
"Hey. That's not a bad idea. OK Gyarados! You're up!" I said as I released the water snake, "Gyarados, after we tie this rope around you, we need you to pull us to the nearest island you can see."   
Gyarados roared in agreement and pulled us the rest of the way. About 2 hours later Josh spotted an island in the distance. It took about 30 minutes to get there the rest of the way. Once we were ashore, I recalled Gyarados and looked for some place to eat while Zach looked for a gas station. We were running low on cash, and all the restaurants around were those fancy, expensive places. We couldn't find a Pokémon Center, but we did find another building. It looked like a huge stadium, probably for Pokémon battles, but when Josh, Megan & I went in, it wasn't a Pokémon stadium at all. It looked more like a track used in the Olympics or something. We walked onto the track, and was surprised that no one was inside.   
"This place is strange." Megan said.  
"Hey! What are you doing here? The show doesn't begin for another hour" a man said to us.  
He looked to be about 6 feet tall, with broad shoulders, muscular build, and short, spikey, brown hair. He wore a white bandana, light blue T-shirt & sweat pants, and a while towel.   
"Um. We were wondering what this was." I asked.  
"Don't you know? This is the Trago Island Stadium & Gym" the man said.  
"Did you say Gym? THIS place is a GYM?" I asked, shocked.  
"That's right, and I'm the leader, Derrick." He said.  
"All right then! I am Matt from Vermillion City! I challenge you for a badge!" I said, stepping forward.  
"Heh. You sure you can compete with me, Matt?" Derrick asked.  
"I sure can. Just wait and see." I said as I lifted & enlarged a Poké Ball.  
"All right then, follow me for your first challenge." Derrick said as he went to the starting line on the track, "We have three different races, since that's what this island is known for. You have to win 2 out of 3 in order to get a badge. You can only use one Pokémon per race and once a Pokémon races, it can't race again. Got the rules?"  
"Sure do. What's the first race?" I asked.  
"The first race will be on land. The first Pokémon to do one lap around the track wins. For this race, I will choose Rapidash!" Derrick said as he called out his flaming horse.   
"OK then, I will choose...Raichu!" I said as I called out my electric mouse.  
Raichu and Rapidash got into position at the starting line. Both were eager to start. Finally, Derrick shot a gun into the air to start the race!  
Both Pokémon raced around the track with excellent speed, but Rapidash was beginning to pull away from Raichu. As they rounded the first corner, Rapidash had a solid lead. Raichu was my fastest land Pokémon, but it was being beaten, hard. I had to think of something. The two Pokémon rounded the second corner, and Rapidash was getting a bigger lead. Raichu was starting to slow down.  
"Raichu! Use your Agility to close the gap!" I shouted.  
Raichu used its energy from within to gain some speed, thus cutting the lead of the two Pokémon. Raichu used all its Agility but it was still lagging. I decided to call for a Quick Attack to increase the speed. Raichu finally managed to catch up to Rapidash as the Finish Line was in sight.  
"Rapidash, Agility." Derrick said calmly.  
Rapidash sped up and left Raichu in the dust. Rapidash crossed the finish line while Raichu fell onto the ground completely tired. I rushed over to Raichu to see if it was all right. I put it back in its Poké Ball to rest. Now I needed to win the next two in order to get a badge.   
"Nice race. Still want to continue? If you do, you will lose." Derrick said.  
"Sorry to disappoint you, but I won't lose and I'll get that badge!" I said as I asked him what the next race was.  
"Simple. It'll be exactly like the last race, but instead of on land, the race will take place in the air. Which means I'm going to use my Fearow!" Derrick shouted as he called upon his huge bird.  
"Heh. That Fearow won't be able to best my Zubat! Go get 'em!" I said to my friend. Zubat eagerly flew in to show off its speed. Josh and Megan were watching from the stands.   
"Go!" Derrick shouted as he fired his gun again.  
The two birds were off. Thanks to its large wingspan, Fearow gained an early lead once again. Zubat wasn't that far behind though. Fearow, however, used its Agility early and gained a large lead heading into the first corner. Zubat used its Agility and Fearow's lead became marginal again. As they finished the first corner, Zubat became noticeably tired. It was flapping its wings as hard as it could, but Fearow was still in the lead. They headed in the second corner when I had an idea. I shouted to Zubat to use an aerial spin. Zubat flew up to the roof at the very top, the spiraled down as fast as it could. Using the downwind speed, Zubat managed to edge Fearow and make it past the finish line about 3/10 of a second before Fearow did. As soon as it stopped, Zubat floated in a dizzy wave, and landed right in my arms, completely pooped. I let Zubat rest in my backpack while Derrick returned his Fearow. He couldn't believe he lost that one to a Zubat. Regaining his composure, he led us outside to the beach.  
"See those buoys in the water? They're for water races, such as the one we're about to have. This time, the trainer has to ride Pokémon as it races. So for this one, I'll choose Lanturn! Go!" Derrick shouted as he threw his Poké Ball into the water. Out of the ball came a large, light blue fish with a light on its head. Derrick stepped on it to ride it.  
"Heh. Looks like this is the perfect situation for Gyarados! GO!" I shouted as I let out my Water-type. Gyarados gave me a lift and swam for the starting line.   
Derrick shot his gun into the air once again to signal the race. Once again, Derrick got the early lead, but Gyarados, being longer, just leaned forward to reclaim the lead. Lanturn used a Double Team to make copies of itself which threw it farther ahead. Gyarados leaned forward more so that it could get better speed. It was like this for three turns. In the final stretch, Lanturn held a slight lead on Gyarados. Things were getting desperate. I needed an extra burst of speed, but Gyarados didn't have any attacks like that, until I got an idea.   
"Gyarados! Tackle towards the beach!" I shouted.  
Gyarados raised itself up a little bit, then lunged towards the beach, and dived through the finish line, winning the race! Gyarados rose up from the water and I gave it a hug for doing so well. After getting off and returning Gyarados, Derrick approached me.  
"For beating me in 2 races, I offer you this, the Water Shell badge." Derrick said as he placed a badge in my hand. It looked like a shell from a clam, but it was all blue and had a circular trail painted on it. I put the badge inside my shirt pocket and thanked Derrick.  
After admiring my badge, Josh snapped me out of my trance enough to look for Zach. We found him trying to buy enough money for gas, but since the prices skyrocketed, he hasn't had much luck. He ended up having to do some service just for getting 20 extra gallons of gas. We caught him as he was cleaning windshields.  
"Having fun bro?" I asked Zach.  
"Haha. Very funny." Zach muttered.  
"So how long you gotta work?" Josh asked.  
"About 2 days. And I already hate this job" Zach muttered once again.  
So, while Zach was working, we decided to relax and spend some time on the beach. Josh, Megan, and their Pokémon worked on getting a tan, while I spent some time in the water. I played tag with Raichu and Raticate while Zubat relaxed on Gyarados's head. Just then another Gyarados rose up out of the water, then another, then another. Soon, about 10 Gyarados's were surrounding me & my Pokémon. Everyone else was scared away, but Josh and Megan just stood there, not knowning what to do. Just then, my Gyarados started talking to the others, allowing me & my Pokémon to get to the beach.   
"You OK?" Josh asked.  
"Yea, they seem more intrested in Gyarados then me." I said.   
After Gyarados stopped talking, the others started to splash around and have fun. We decided to let them be for a while, while everyone else was scared stiff. Officer Jenny arrived on her motocycle to see what's all the commotion. She saw what was happening with the Gyarados.  
"Sir, is that yours out there?" she asked me.  
"Yea, but only one. The rest are wild." I answered.  
"I'm sorry but you have to recall it. It's too dangerous in such a populated area." Jenny told me.  
"All right. Gyarados, retu---" I started to say before I was cut off by a helicopter.   
The helicopter hovered above the Gyarados, and just then a net popped out and snagged the wild Gyarados. My Gyarados managed to duck in time. Just then I heard two familiar voices coming from the speakerphone.  
"Prepare for trouble!"  
"Make it double!"  
"To protect the world from devistation!"  
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"  
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"  
"Jesse!"  
"James!"  
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"  
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"  
"Meowth, dat's right!"  
It was Team Rocket again! They had captured the wild Gyarados, and tried to escape with them, but the chopper was too light to lift all the heavy Gyarados. I wondered why they didn't use a Poké Ball but I had no time for that.   
"Get this thing moving Meowth!" Jesse yelled.  
"I can't! Those Gyarados are too heavy!" Meowth said.  
"We have to get these to the boss, or we're fired!" James said.  
Outside, my Gyarados finally re-surfaced. It saw all the Gyarados tangled in the net, and got very angry.   
"Gyarados! Use your Hyper Beam!" I shouted.  
Gyarados reared back, powered up, and unleashed a huge, orange beam and the helicopter, which made the rope snap and the chopper explode. Jesse, James & Meowth once again blasted off into the sky. Gyarados ripped the net off and greeted its new friends. Finally, I called Gyarados to say good-bye, but it didn't feel like saying it. Gyarados looked back its friends in the sea, and that did it for me.  
"Gyarados, I...I want you to stay here." I said.  
"WHAT!?" Josh & Megan said in unison.  
Gyarados bent down to understand what I was saying.  
"I know you'll be happy here old friend. And maybe someday we'll reunite. But until then I want you to be happy, and right now this place will do just that. Just try not to eat too many people, OK Gyarados?" I said with a blurry wink.  
Gyarados started to cry as well. It nudged me as a sign of understanding. It said good-bye to Zubat too as it swam off with its friends. Zach came running up just as they swam off.  
"What, ::puff:: did ::wheeze:: I miss?" Zach tried to say.  
"Oh nothing. Matt just released Gyarados." Megan said.  
Upon hearing this, Zach fell down, unconsious.  
Meanwhile, back in Team Rocket's secret headquarters, Jesse, James & Meowth slowly approached two large, red doors. They opened to see a dark office, lit by a few lamps, and the head of Team Rocket sitting in a chair facing them.  
"What took you blundering idiots so long?" The boss asked.  
"Well, you see sir, we tried to get these Gyarados..." Jesse said.  
"But they were too heavy for the helicopter" James said.  
"IDIOTS! Why didn't you just use Poké Balls!?" Their boss said as he pounded his fist into the desk.  
"Poké Balls! Hey! Why didn't we think of that?" James asked.  
"Because you three are incompetant! That's why! I don't know how my dad managed to put up with you three bungalars! And to be honest, I don't know why I do either! But I digress. I didn't call you here to yell at you." The boss said with a look of disgust on his face, "I called you here because all the agents I have that are capable of handling this are currently on assignment. Listen up. You don't have to do anything but push three buttons. Go down to the warehouse and give the watchman these ID numbers. He will give you two machines. One of them attracts Poké Balls using a magnet, the other is a vaccuum of sorts, used to capture Pokémon outside of their Poké Ball. I want you to take these machines down to the mall in Triton Island. They are having a big gala over there for Pokémon. I want them to be mine! Understand!"   
"Yes sir! You can count on us!" Meowth chipped in.  
"I MEAN IT! I don't want ANY screw ups! This is your last chance! If you bungle this mission up somehow, you three will be history! UNDERSTAND! Not only will you be banished from Team Rocket, but I will see to it you never get an honest job as long as you live! GOT IT!" the boss yelled at Jesse, James & Meowth.  
"Don't worry sir. We can do it!" James said.  
"Fine. Here are the numbers. When you get the Pokémon, drop them off in the warehouse on 37 East District. Then report back here. If you three manage to mess this up, then you will pay the consiquences." The boss said as he handed Meowth the ID numbers.  
As Jesse, James & Meowth headed down to the warehouse and gave the man the ID numbers, they all giggled.  
"Finally, we'll be able to succeed! And no nosey brats to stop us!" Jesse said.  
"This time we're going to be on the winning end." James said.  
"And No one, not even that 'Grand Master' can stop us!" Meowth said.  
And with that, all three laughed hysterically.  
  
To be continued......  
Next time: Jesse, James & Meowth crash the gala and steal all the Pokémon! How can we stop them without our Pokémon! Find out next time, as an old friend arrives to help us out!  



	2. Friends Come Back & Friends Leave For Go...

Chapter 2: Friends Come Back & Friends Leave For Good  
(Note: If you want to read the end of the story a little early, head over to http://www.angelfire.com/ego/andthen)  


  
While Zach was driving, Josh & Megan were trying to figure out where to go next, and Zubat & Pichu were playing a game, I was recording the Gym Battle I just had into my Pokédex and admiring my new Water Shell Badge. Josh and Megan were fighting over which island to go to. One of them was very large and tropical, while the other one was more technical and industrial.   
"Why don't you two just flip a coin?" Zach asked.  
Neither of them had thought of that. Josh got a coin out and Megan called Heads in the air. The coin rolled on the boat a few minutes but finally landed...on Tails.   
"Heh. Guess we're heading over to Mandarin Island after all!" Josh said.  
"Hmmph. That's only because this boat isn't steady or level." Megan said angrily.  
"So the lovebirds are already fighting, huh?" I said to the pair.  
Josh & Megan then looked at me with fire in their eyes. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant paper fan came around and smacked me hard. Zach was trying to contain his laughter. We made it to Mandarin Island in about an hour. After pulling into the dock, we went downtown to get something to eat, and noticed that a huge mall was having some sort of festival. Curious, I decided to check it out. The others followed suit. When we got inside, there were balloons and booths everywhere.   
"What's going on?" I asked.  
"Hmm. Looks like a huge gala or something" Zach answered.  
"Wonder what it's for?" Megan asked.  
Josh looked at all the balloons.  
"Well, since I see giant Pikachu, Pichu, Jolteon, & Zapdos balloons, I think this is a Pokémon gala, or an electric party." Josh said.  
"Well? What are we waiting for?" I said as I ran into the crowd. Megan grabbed Josh and followed me. Zach sighed and ran, trying to catch up to us.   
There were all sorts of things going on. There were various games where the person has to try to guess a Pokémon's weight or games of luck where you had to spin a wheel, and games where you were tested on skill, like those water squirter contests. I tried my hand in the weight guessing contest, but wasn't even close. Zach spent about $20 in the wheels and lost it all, considering they only cost a quarter a piece. Megan desperately wanted to win a little Squirtle that was being raffled, so Josh spent $10 on raffles, which were 50 cents each. Zubat & Pichu sat down on top of a tent to get out of the crowds. While I played a racing video game starring Rapidash's & Dodrio's, Zach sobbed over losing $20, Josh tried to calm him down, and Megan was chowing down on a hamburger. Just then, a voice on loudspeaker spoke up.  
"Ladies & Gentlemen! We have the winning number for our raffle of our prize Squirtle! The number is: 1765489! Will the person with that number please report to the raffle booth! Thank you!"  
"I don't believe it!? I spent $10 on 20 tickets I didn't even win anything!" Josh shouted.  
"It's all right. I can live without a Squirtle" Megan said.  
"Heh. Spending all your money on your girl, huh Josh?" I asked.  
Once again, out of nowhere, a giant paper fan smashed into my face, knocking me dizzy. Josh quietly sipped his drink while Megan laughed. Zach was still sobbing. It was just then when the lights went out all over the mall. We wondered what was going on when suddenly, the roof crashed down. People ducked for cover and saw above some sort of giant machine floating in the middle of the air. The loudspeakers went on with two familiar voices.  
"Prepare for Trouble!"  
"Make it double!"  
"To protect the world from devistation!"  
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"  
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"  
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"  
"Jesse!"  
"James!"  
"Team Rocket Blast off at the speed of light!"  
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"  
"Meowth! Dat's right!"  
It was Team Rocket! They came to steal all the Pokémon!  
"What are you three clowns doing here?" I yelled.  
"We're here to do what we do best! Steal Pokémon!" Jesse shouted back.  
"This time we've got a foolproof plan! Start it up!" James said.  
Meowth pressed a button on the console, and suddenly the bottom of the machine started glowing blue. Before any of us knew it, our Poké Balls were sucked up onto the magnet. Zach finally stopped sobbing long enough to see what was going on. I ordered Zubat to attack, but Team Rocket activated a huge vacuum and started sucking up all the Pokémon. Megan tried to grab Pichu but was too late, as her Pokémon was sucked into the giant bag along with a lot of others. Just then the bag glowed yellow, but didn't pop. Zubat tried fighting it, but the suction was too strong, and it was sucked up too. When all the Pokémon were captured, Team Rocket laughed and started to leave.  
"Thank you really for all the delicious Pokémon!" Jesse said.  
"It was a real breeze." Meowth said.  
"I never knew we had such a magnetic personality!" James commented.  
The three laughed and flew off in a cloud of smoke. I ran outside and saw a smoke trail heading south. I just looked out there. I had to save my Pokémon, but how could I? I didn't know which island they were heading to. The police came a few minutes later, and the trainers told them what happened. I took the time to call Professor Oak.  
"Ah, Matt. What can I do for you?" Oak asked.  
I quickly told him about the robbery.  
"Hmm. They used a vacuum and a magnet." Oak said as various Pokémon walked in the background.  
"That's it! Professor, do you still have that Magnemite I caught a few months back?" I asked.  
"Um yes I do. Oh! I see now! Good thinking!" Oak said.  
"Thanks. Can you send over Magnemite, as well as Venusaur, Staryu and Weepinbell?" I asked.  
"Will do." Oak said as he got the Pokémon.  
After a few minutes, four Poké Balls appeared next to the phone. I thanked the Professor and hung up to get the others. I was just about to leave when the phone rang again.  
"Nurse Joy? What is it?" I asked.  
"Professor Oak said you were here, I have something for you." Joy said holding up a Poké Ball.  
I couldn't believe it. "You're serious!?"  
Joy nodded. I asked her to send it right away. A few minutes later the ball appeared. I grabbed it and put it on my waist. Now there was no way I could lose. I thanked Nurse Joy and hung up. After running to the dock and finally finding the others, I let out Magnemite.  
"Magnemite. I need you to try to sense Team Rocket's magnet. See if you can draw in to it." I asked.  
Magnemite nodded the best it could and floated around for a few minutes. Then it's magnets shook and Magnemite was being drawn to the southeast. We started up the boat and followed Magnemite. The farther we went the more Magnemite sped up. Soon enough we came across a tiny island that had only one factory on it. Magnemite stopped here. Guess that's where Team Rocket is. We ran up to the building. Using Venusaur, we smashed our way inside.  
"Huh? How did you find us so quickly!" James shouted.  
"Easy. My Magnemite here followed the magnetic trail your machine left behind!" I said.  
"Drat! We've almost got all the balls loaded too. Oh well. Arbok! Lickitung! Take care of them!" Jesse said.  
"I knew we should have grabbed their Pokédex's! Weezing! Victreebel! Go!" James shouted.  
Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung, & Victreebel, right after trying to eat James again, marched off to stop us. I called out Staryu and Weepinbell to assist. Magnemite tried to Thundershock Arbok, but using Dig, Arbok dodged the attack and leapt at Magnemite, crushing it. Staryu tackled Arbok back, but Victreebel's Vine Whip knocked the star back and some Razor Leaves put it out for good. Weepinbell tackled Victreebel, but was thrown back by Weezing's Tackle & Smog attacks. All that was left was Venusaur.  
"You can do it Venusaur! Razor Leaf! Now!" I shouted.  
Venusaur understood and started sending tons of leaves out. Weezing's smoke and Victreebel's Vine Whips stopped them, though. Lickitung stepped up and licked Venusaur, paralyzing it.  
"Oh no! Venusaur! Return!" I shouted.  
"Ahahaha! Did you really think you could beat us this time?" Jesse asked.  
"I'm not done yet! I've still got one Pokémon left who can beat you!" I shouted.  
"Oh yea! Just try it!" Meowth yelled.  
I just smiled and threw the Poké Ball. "I choose you! Go get 'em!"  
Out of the ball came a blob of white energy. The energy began to materialize into a long but skinny creature. It's legs were tiny and its arms had two stingers on them. It flew using its insect-like wings.  
"Beeeeeez!" the Pokémon shouted.   
"BEEDRILL!?" Megan, Josh, Zach, Jesse, James & Meowth shouted all at once.  
They were right. Beedrill was finally fully healed and ready to go. It buzzed up to Team Rocket, ready to win.   
"Grr. This stupid thing is in our way! Get rid of it!" Jesse shouted.  
The Pokémon understood and started to attack. Lickitung tried to paralyze Beedrill, but by using Agility and a Fury Attack, Lickitung was soon knocked out next to Jesse. Victreebel threw some leaves at Beedrill, but a Pin Missile shot through them and smacked Victreebel into James. Arbok & Weezing tried a double team, but Beedrill's Twineedle sent them flying. Beedrill was ready for the final command.  
"Beedrill! Rage attack, now!" I shouted.  
Beedrill's eyes glowed red as it started charging, and smashed the machine to pieces. Zubat & Pichu flew out and landed on the floor. Jesse, James, Meowth & the Pokémon flew into the sky.  
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasted off for the last time!" All three said in unison.  
While I congratulated Beedrill and welcomed back Zubat, Megan hugged Pichu, Zach found our Poké Balls, and some that belonged to other trainers, and Josh spotted a helicopter leaving from the roof. That must have had the other balls. We ran outside just in time to catch a glimpse of it as it flew off. Zach & Josh called out their fliers while Zubat & Beedrill sped away with me & Megan following in the boat. The helicopter pilots noticed Zach & Josh following them and decided to act.  
"Looks like those kids that bothered James & Jeese are following us" a woman said.  
"Let's take 'em out with the Drowzee Hypnotizer" a man said.  
Just then, short, yellow, waves shot out from the back of the helicopter. Zach, Zubat & Beedrill dodged them, but Josh wasn't so lucky. Within seconds both Josh & Pidgeot were asleep and fell into the ocean. Luckily, me & Megan weren't far behind, and we sent out Raticate & Dratini to retrieve them. Meanwhile, Beedrill was trying to hit the thing with Pin Missile, while Pichu tried shcoking.   
"Hah. You'd think they'd realize that the thing is coated with rubber!" the woman said.  
Zach & Scyther closed in to try to cut the rudder off. However, as soon as Scyther touched it, a small ball was launched and electrocuted Scyther and threw Zach off. Recalling Scyther, Zach sent out Lapras to catch him and take him to the helicopter, which had just landed on an island not too far away. Zach made it there in no time and recalled Lapras, then rode off on Rhyhorn, followed by Zubat & Beedrill. They had soon reached a large metal door, which promptly crashed under Rhyhorn's feet. As soon as Zach got in, however, about 20 Rocket Agents stood in front of him, Poké Balls ready. Zach called out Golem & Pinsir for support, but they were outnumbered. Various Pokémon came out, one was a Primeape. As soon as it came out it charged at Zach, only to be knocked away by flames.  
"Hey! Did we miss anything?" I asked, running in with Flareon, Graveler, Raticate & Raichu behind me. Megan ran up also with Machop, Vulpix & Nidorina out.  
"Nothing much bro" Zach said and smilied.  
"Where's the helicopter?" I asked.  
"It's inside that building" Zach pointed to the building the Rockets were protecting.  
"OK. Zach, see if you can hold off these agents. Megan. Head back to the boat and try to wake up Josh. Zubat & I will go inside" I said.  
Megan nodded and rushed back to the boat. I called Zubat over and rushed up the stairs when a Rocket stopped me, but was quickly kicked aside by Raticate. I thanked it and ran inside through the hallway, only to come upon a huge Poké Ball transport room. Inside were two people dressed in black Rocket uniforms.  
"Hmm? And who is this pest?" The man asked. He had short blue hair.  
"I don't know, looks like that kid that gave Jesse so much trouble!" the woman with blond hair tied in two comet-like shapes said.  
"I'm here to stop you and save the Pokémon!" I shouted. Zubat & Raticate piped in.  
"Heh. Allow us to introduce ourselves boy!" the woman shouted.  
"Prepare for Trouble & make it double!" the two said in unison.  
"To infect the world with devistation!"   
"To blight all peoples in every nation!"  
"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"  
"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"  
"Cassidy!"  
"Butch!"  
"Team Rocket circiling Earth day & night"  
"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"  
I just stood there in amazement. Raticate & Zubat had sweatdrops n the back of their heads.  
"Why did you guys steal Jesse & James's motto?" I asked them.  
"WE DID NOT STEAL IT!" Cassidy yelled.  
"That's right, and now it's time for you to hand over your Pokémon to us." Butch said.  
"No way! Raticate! Zubat! Get them!" I yelled.  
"A Raticate? Heh. You're pitiful Raticate is no match for mine! Come out Raticate!" Butch said.   
Butch threw another Poké Ball and out came Raticate. Wanting to show its strength, my Raticate stepped up. Butch's Raticate leaped towards mine, but Raticate Water Gunned it away. My Raticate tackled Butch's, but was beaten back by Butch's Raticate's Hyper Fang. Raticate jumped up and tried a Thunder, but Butch's managed to dodge it, then hit mine with a Quick Attack. My Raticate jumped up and kicked Butch's, but his chomped down on mine's leg hard. It then used Seismic Toss to toss it across the room. Raticate struggled to get up, and started glowing. It focused its energy then attacked and tackled Butch's Raticate. As Butch's was getting up, my Raticate used its Jump Kick to slam Butch's into the wall. Both of them got up quickly and jumped at each other. Butch's Raticate Super Fanged my Raticate, but it go a taste of its own medicine when Raticate Hyper Fanged its tail and brought it down, hard. Butch's Raticate tried to get up, but couldn't. My Raticate was OK, but very weak, and breathing hard.  
"Raticate! You did it!" I said as I ran up & hugged my Pokémon.   
"You think you've won so easily? Sorry to disappoint you kid, but you could never defeat us!" Cassidy said with a laugh.  
"I don't think so! Zubat! Attack!" I said pointing at Cassidy.  
Zubat rushed forward, but was slammed back by some kind of force. The doors opened behind Cassidy to reveal a somewhat tall, fully yellow Pokémon with a white collar: Hypno. Hypno's eyes glowed and soon, I was thrown against the wall and couldn't move an inch. Hypno used a Psybeam to knock back Zubat & Raticate.  
"Haha! Hypno! Finish that kid off while we finish refueling the helicopter!" Cassidy said.  
Hypno nodded and started waving it's pendulum. I realized the attack instantly. Metronome. Hypno swung its pendulum more & more. After a few minutes, it stopped. Its eyes grew wide and glowed orange. Then its mouth opened up to gather energy. It had decided on an attack: Hyper Beam. The beam was about to fire. I knew I was dead. Zubat and Raticate came to and saw what had happened, but it was too late. Hypno fired the beam. I braced myself for impact. As the beam hit, I felt like something was blocking it. When the beam dissipated and I opened my eyes, I saw what had happened. Raticate stepped infront of the beam! Hypno, weak from using such a strong beam, stopped to recharge. Raticate & I fell down and immediately inspected my rat.  
"Raticate! Speak to me! Raitcate!" I yelled with tears in my eyes.   
Raticate barely was able to say its name. I enlarged a Poké Ball and put Raticate inside. As I looked at the ball, a hatred spread inside of me. I looked at Butch, who had saw the whole thing. Cassidy came back to see what happened. Hypno was done re-charging, when the door broke open. From the door came a huge boulder: Golem!  
"Hey Matt! What's up?" Josh said, coming in. He was finally awake!  
"Josh, listen to me!" I said, running up to him, "I need to borrow Pidgeot. Raticate got seriously injured and I need to treat it right away!"  
Josh nodded, "Sure thing. Pidgeot! Take Matt to the Pokémon Center!"   
As Pidgeot flew me over, the others handled Butch & Cassidy. Raichu produced a Light Screen to deflect Psybeams while Golem, Flareon, & the others attacked from a distance. Eventually, the walls came crashing down, stopping the criminals and fainting Hypno. It didn't take long for the police to arrive. They arrested Butch & Cassidy and gave their Pokémon to Professor Oak. Jenny then gave out the stolen Pokéballs back to their trainers. Zach, Josh & Megan hurried back to Mandarin Island, and found me sitting on the couch, about to burst.  
"They....They said that Raticate needed surgery" I said without lifting my head.  
Zach tried to comfort me, but Nurse Joy came in right then. I looked at her with watery eyes and could barely make out her shaking her head. Immediately I rushed into the room. Raticate was sitting on a bed, barely alive. Zubat sat down on the bar while I held my friend. Raticate barely managed to look over at me with concerned eyes.  
"Raticate. I'm so sorry. If I didn't bring you here, you wouldn't....wouldn't..." I couldn't finish my sentence as I was crying too hard.   
"Ratttiiicaa" Raticate tried to say something, but then fell silent. Its eyes closed for good. Zach, Josh, Megan, & Nurse Joy looked on from the doorway.  
"No...no...NO! RATICATE!" I shouted in the room. I laid on Raticate's stomach and cried for hours.   
The next morning, we went back to the mainland. I carried back Raticate's body to Route 1, in the exact spot I captured it. Zach & Josh helped me bury Raticate, and I put a small cross as a tombstone. During this, I could remember all the times I spent with it. From first catching Rattata to it defeating that bird trainer, to helping me defeat Misty, to evolving into Raticate, and helping me in the tournament and during the island trips to find Scott & in Cinnabar. It helped me a lot during training and was one of my best Pokémon during the League. I remembered its fight with Butch's Raticate and how much its helped me.   
"Oh Raticate...why? Why did you have to die to save me?" I asked in tears.  
After remembering the times with Raticate, I got up, and started to walk away with my friends. As the four of us looked back, I thought about all the happy times we had all over again. Then I said my final respects.  
"Good-bye Raticate. My Pokémon. My ally. My friend."  



End file.
